Cookies have been sent, pictures have been taken and now it’s time to share this years Great Food Blogger Cookie Swap cookie! I bring you Pomegranate Chocolate Chunk Cookies! I’ll elaborate on these beauties in a minute. I was so excited when I got the email reminding me to sign up for this years swap. I haven’t exactly been the baking machine I was in the past, but signing up for the swap meant I HAD to bake some cookies or I would be on the naughty list. Signing up also meant I would receive 3 dozen cookies from other fab bloggers. Win, win people! Win, Win!!

The first dozen I received was a Chocolate Walnut Cookie, I think it was. Unfortunately it didn’t have a name or description, but they were good!! It was a really cold day when they were delivered and they sat outside for a few hours before I realized my first cookie swap had arrived. They were chilled from being outside and that’s actually how we preferred them. So back in the fridge they went. Brent was a big fan of these! The next batch I received was from Hannah of Fleur-De-Licious. Hannah sent me Pistachio and Cranberry Mexican Wedding Cakes. I loved this cookie for 2 reasons: 1) it was out of the ordinary and unlike anything I have tried before and 2) they were good obviously! The name immediately had me intrigued. I’m definitely bookmarking the recipe to try for future reference. My last dozen was a Whole Wheat Cranberry Chocolate Chip cookie from Lauren over at Sizzle Eats. I’ve never baked with Whole Wheat before but I will say I didn’t feel nearly as guilty eating these cookies as I normally do. Another thing to add to the to-do list, bake with whole wheat flour. Thanks for all the yummy cookies ladies!

What about my cookies you ask?!? They were good!! Like really good! Chocolatey, gooey, and little bits of juicy tartness. I was slightly skeptical because I have never baked with pomegranate seeds. To be honest, I’ve never bought a pomegranate or had pomegranate seeds until last week. Not that I can recall at least. They are my new favorite thing! The pomegranate itself is a bit of a hassle to work with, but those seeds are so worth it. Chocolate and pomegranate, you make a delightful combo. Marking this one down to make again very soon!! Wonder what else I can combine with these seeds??

2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the instant coffee, flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.

3. In a small glass bowl, combine chopped chocolate and butter. Place the bowl over a pan of simmering water and stir frequently until the chocolate has melted and the mixture is smooth. Remove bowl from heat.

4. In large bowl, beat the sugar, eggs, POM juice, and vanilla extract until combined, about 2-3 minutes. Slowly add in flour mixture until batter is thick and smooth. Be careful not to over mix. Fold in the melted chocolate. Stir in the chocolate chips and pomegranate seeds. Using a medium scoop (about 1 1/2 tbsp) place dough onto prepared baking sheets. Bake until slightly puffed and the tops begin to crack, 12 to 14 minutes. Allow the cookies to cool completely on the baking sheets and serve.

Like this:

Oh heeeyyy! Where do I even begin?!?! Clearly it’s been forever since my last post, and even longer since my last food post. Life has been CRAZY!! But in all the best ways. These boys are definitely keeping me busy and I am loving every minute of being a mom. More on those precious babies later though…..in the mean time here’s a peak at how big they are getting!

I’ve only baked like 4 times since January! 4 times people!!!! Oy vey! Needless to say, my creative juices weren’t flowing so I turned to one of my favorite baking blogs. Jamie, over at My Baking Addiction, always has amazing recipes. Her blog is one of my go-to’s and I can always count on the recipe to be a hit!

These cookies are AMAZING!!! They are chocolaty, peanut buttery, soft with a slightly crisp edge, and all around delightful! I was a little worried about the stuffed Reese’s Cup because I’ve had bad luck before with stuffing cookies but no problems at all this time. Make sure to let the dough balls freeze for 15-20 minutes before baking to insure they don’t flatten out and become a runny mess. I may or may not have eaten 3 of them within a matter of like 20 minutes. So.Good!

1. In a large bowl, beat butter, sugars, eggs, and vanilla on medium speed until light and fluffy, approx. 2-3 minutes. Mix in flour, baking soda and salt. Stir in chocolate chips.

2. Measure dough using a medium cookie scoop (about 2 tbsp). Roll dough into a ball and then flatten in the palm of your hand.

3. Place a frozen Reese’s Cup in the center of flattened dough and then roll back into a ball.

4. Place dough balls in freezer for about 15-20 minutes. After first batch is in the freezer, preheat oven to 350 degrees.

5. Place frozen dough balls on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper, about 3 inches apart. I got 6 dough balls on each sheet.

6. Bake 15-18 minutes or until edges start to turn golden brown, centers of the cookie will be soft. Cool on pan for atleast 3-5 minutes then transfer to a cooling rack.

Notes:

Cookies store in an airtight container will be good for 2-3 days.

I baked my cookies for 15 minutes and allowed to cool for 5 minutes on the cookie sheet before transferring. Keep an eye on the cookies, each oven bakes differently and you don’t want them to get overdone.

Are you chocolate and minted out yet?!?! I hope not because this one is a doozy as well. With that being said, I promise this is my last post about this delightful flavor combo. Even I am getting a bit overwhelmed by the sugary goodness. Stephanie from Life Taste Like Food asked me to participate in her Holiday Project a few months back. I was so excited because it’s my first guest post EVER!! Even more exciting was that Stephanie was the one who sent her yummy Gingerbread Cookies my way from the Cookie Swap!

Head over to Stephanie’s blog for all the details to create your very own tasty cupcake at home. For the Mint Chocolate Chip Bark, click here.

Thanks so much Stephanie for having me participate in your Holiday Food round up! Really enjoying all the new bloggers to follow and foods to check out.

This year I participated in a little something called The Great Food Blogger Cookie Swap hosted by the very talented Lindsay and Julie. Not sure if you heard of it or not, but it was pretty epic! There were some 22,000 cookies floating around the U.S. the past week just from this swap. I wonder how many cookies take flight or go on road trips this time of year?!? We were sent 3 fellow participants to send our cookies to and in return you received 3 dozen from various other people. The first dozen I received was Gingersnap Cookies with Chai drizzle and Candied Ginger from Stephanie of Life Tastes Like Food. Over the years I’ve developed a wonderful friendship with Ginger cookies. Back in the day we didn’t really see eye to eye, but as I matured so did my tastes buds. The first night I ate 3 of them, in like 10 minutes! Swoon!! They were delicious with my morning coffee. A few days later the next 2 dozen came. It was like Christmas!! Kimberly of Rhubarb & Honey sent Cranberry Orange Pecan Cookies that screamed of holiday scents. I loved the specs of orange zest…so festive!! Emily of A Gilt Nutmeg shared her Cookies and Cream Cookies that had big chunks of Oreo’s scattered throughout the cookie. Delish! I can’t wait to get the recipes from everyone and recreate them at home.

The cookie I shared with my matches was a spin off my favorite holiday pick-me-up….the one and only Peppermint Mocha Latte from Starbucks. I have now become one of those crazies in line that you always here people make fun of when ordering. Allow me to enlighten you…..”I’ll have a Grande Decaf Non-Fat No Whip 1/2 Pump Extra Hot Peppermint Mocha.” How many times do you think that’s actually the drink I end up with?? haha!!

Since I didn’t test the recipe before the exchange, I knew the base had to be one that I’ve used before. So I turned to my favorite chocolate cookie that appeared here and here. It’s part brownie, part cookie – kind of amazing! Added in some Andes Peppermint discs, mini chocolate chips, and crossed my fingers that it wasn’t too minty. I doubled the first batch and it made just enough to cover the 3 dozen that I needed. Which meant that I had to whip up some more to photograph, hate when that happens. 3 of them may have disappeared during the photo session….they just threw the picture way off balance. 😉 I really hope everyone enjoyed these as much as I did! Are Peppermint Mocha Lattes one of your favorite holiday indulgences as well, try it in cookie form. I see nothing wrong with having them both in the same day either. Tis the season!

1. Preheat the oven to 300 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or silpats. Set aside.

2. In a small glass bowl, combine the chocolate and butter. Place the bowl over a pan of simmering water and stirring frequently until the chocolate has melted and the mixture is smooth.

3. In a medium bowl, whisk together the instant coffee, flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.

4. In large bowl, beat the sugar, eggs, water, and vanilla extract until combined, about 2-3 minutes. Slowly add in flour mixture until batter is thick and smooth. Be careful not to over mix. Fold in the melted chocolate. Stir in the chocolate chips and Andes Peppermint discs. Using a medium scoop (about 1 1/2 tbsp) place dough onto prepared baking sheets. Bake until slightly puffed and the tops begin to crack, 12 to 14 minutes. Allow the cookies to cool completely on the baking sheets and serve.

Notes

Cookies are best the day of or next day. Store in an air tight container for up to 3 days.

This time of year bakers are turning out all sorts of holiday cookies. Fancy frosted cut-outs and seasonal spiced circles are donning the plates at many holiday parties. But the basic chocolate chip cookie often gets left behind this month. I love all the different combinations and flavors as much as the next jolly gal, but let’s think of Santa here. The poor guy can’t be flying from house to house downing a dangerous concoction of holiday cheer. So for his sake, let’s go back to basics, shall we??

The New York Times Chocolate Chip Cookie has been floating around the internet and numerous blogs for years. I took one glance at the recipe and realized that it not only called for 2 different types of flours (neither of them being all-purpose) and you had to refrigerate for 24 to 36 hours. Did it look delicious? Well of course they did, but they seemed a bit high maintenance to me back then or maybe I was just too impatient to wait so long for something that I’ve had countless times before. Trust me when I tell you guys, that these are well worth the extra flour and the extra chill time.

They are so good in fact, Old St. Nick might circle by your place for seconds. In which of course he would want to leave another gift for the very talented baker that warmed his heart with this chewy, slightly salty but wonderfully sweet cookie. Wink, wink Santa! If you know of anyone that is a I’m-happy-with-a-basic-cookie type, make these to share! You will have smiling faces all around!

2. Using a mixer fitted with paddle attachment, cream butter and sugars together until very light, about 5 minutes. (Don’t rush the 5 minutes). Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Add vanilla.

3. Reduce speed to low, add dry ingredients and mix just until combined (count between 5 and 10 after all dry ingredients have been added and then turn off mixer). Stir in chocolate chips. Press plastic wrap against dough and refrigerate for 24 to 36 hours. Dough may be made in batches, and can be refrigerated for up to 72 hours.

4. Once ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Cookies can be made into 2 sizes: (a) Scoop 3 1/2 once mounds of dough (the size of generous golf balls) onto baking sheets. Sprinkle lightly with sea salt (if desired) and bake until golden brown but still soft, about 18 to 20 minutes. (b) Using a medium scoop, place rounded tablespoonful of dough onto prepared baking sheets. Sprinkle lightly with sea salt (if desired) and bake until golden brown but still soft, about 11-13 minutes. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for about 10 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.

Notes:

Things not to skimp on: Allow the butter and sugars to cream together for 5 minutes. Be sure to refrigerate for at least 24 hours. Let all those flavors combine, you won’t be disappointed.

Nestle also makes Dark Chocolate Morsels that would work great if you don’t have Ghirardelli on hand.

I’m down to my last can of pumpkin! GASP! Now the big question….do I buy more or do I call it quits?!? Last year I bought more with the intentions of making more pumpkin treats but the holidays came and went, then I was on the post-holiday clean eating kick, and then spring was here. If buying another can means I make these granola bars again, you better believe I will be snagging some up.

I first made homemade granola bars back in August and fell in love! I knew this time I, of course, wanted to incorporate pumpkin and all the flavors of fall and had no doubts where to start the search, over at Two Peas and Their Pod. I’ve used Maria’s recipes numerous times and they always turn out great. I was pumped when I saw her recipe because it didn’t call for an egg or any oil!! Woohoo! A healthy breakfast or snack packed full of flavor, nutrients, and a touch of chocolate. Winner, Winner! Oh, the other totally awesome thing about this recipe, the prep works takes like 10 minutes. Happy, happy, joy, joy!

3. In a medium bowl, whisk together brown sugar, pumpkin puree, applesauce, honey and vanilla extract until well combined. Pour liquid mixture over oats and stir together until all oats are moist and ingredients are combined. Next, add chocolate chips, sunflower seeds, and cranberries.

4. Place oat mixture in prepared pan and press down evenly. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from oven and transfer pan to a wire rack to cool. After 5 minutes, cut bars into desired size. Allow bars to cool completely.

Notes:

The pumpkin keeps these bars very soft and chewy, so be careful not to under bake the mixture.

Is there anything better than a soft and chewy cookie?? Well I guess if you don’t like soft and chewy cookies, than yes there is. But for me, a slightly crisp edge and a melt in your mouth middle cannot be resisted. Nor should it be. I may have even stolen 1 or 2 extra from the jar and ventured into another room just so I could eat in peace and get lost in cookie heaven. I may also do that so I don’t get judged by the husband or the dog. Isn’t it weird how dogs can give you that look like YOU are the one that’s busted?? How do they do that??

You know what IS better than a soft and chewy cookie? A soft, chewy, chocolaty, toffee, rolo stuffed cookie! Oh my dear heavens. The melted butter in this recipe amps up the toffee flavor which is a perfect combo with the melted caramel center. Let’s not forget about those dark chocolate chips that bring the cookie full circle. Get it? Full circle? You know because a cookie is a circle. Yes….I do make corny jokes like that all the time. Unfortunately what you don’t get to see is me laughing at myself in an awkward giggle that usually results in some sort of snorting. Beautiful picture I am painting here.

I’ve been on a toffee kick the past few months. I can’t stop myself. What is your favorite candy bar/mix-in to use?

1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and pre-heat oven to 375 degrees. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper.

2. In a small bowl, whisk together flour and baking soda. Set aside.

3. In a 10-inch skillet, melt 10 tbsp butter over medium-high heat, about 2 minutes. Continue cooking, swirling pan constantly until butter is dark golden brown and has a nutty aroma, about 1-3 minutes. Using a heatproof spatula, pour melted butter into a large heatproof bowl. Add remaining 4 tbsp butter into hot butter and stir until completely melted.

4. Add sugar, brown sugar, salt and vanilla to bowl with melted butter. Whisk until fully combined. Add egg and egg yolk and whisk until mixture is smooth with no sugar lumps remaining, about 30 seconds. Let mixture rest for 3 minutes, then whisk for another 30 seconds. Repeat process of resting and whisking 2 more times until mixture is smooth, thick, and shiny.

5. Using a rubber spatula, stir in flour mixture just until combined. Add chocolate chips and toffee bits. Place dough in fridge for about 20-30 minutes.

6. Measure out about 2 tbsp of dough. Place 1 Rolo in center of dough and then cover with 1 tbsp of dough. Roll into a ball. Place on cookie sheet.

7. Bake 1 tray of cookies at a time until edges are golden brown and set and middle is still soft, about 9-12 minutes. Transfer baking sheet to a wire rack to cool.

Notes:

Although the recipe doesn’t say to put the batter in the fridge before baking, I have found that it produces a thicker cookie if chilled.

If you want a smaller cookie, cut the Rolo’s in half and use about 1 1/2 tbsp of dough.